https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ds0nboOl_7Ok4Vbcu4Z-L1lgDhaFVAf7Fdwjw-oNI6U/edit
Google docs formats things strangely...
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval
Currently, I am taking Physics 132 at Cal Poly Pomona with Professor Jamshid Armamd, as well as the corresponding activity class, 299A, with Linda Shareghi. This is what I plan on using for my 1st independent component. The 132 class meets every Tuesday/Thursday from 2:30 to 3:45, and the activity class meets every Friday from 1:00 to 2:50, to this will more than satisfy the 30-hour work requirement.
Since this is a foundational physics class, this will help me make sure I am completely comfortable with the basic physical laws so I can tackle the more complex problems in my working EQ, what is the most important unsolved physics problem? For example, we recently covered basic laws of gravity and orbits in class-one of the possible answers to my EQ is a theory of quantum gravity. I can now use my foundational knowledge of these basic laws of gravity and work them into relativity and try and visualize a way in which they could work at the subatomic level.
I'm not saying this class will make me discover the answer to life, the universe, and everything (which is 42, of course,) but it will certainly help give me a solid foundation to move ahead in the world of physics.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Blog 6: Second Interview
I will be asking questions along these lines-
How did you find your "niche" in theoretical physics?
Why did you choose to be a theorist instead of an experimentalist?
How does the theory department at Caltech work? Are you split up by discipline-do you only work with the particle physicists? Do you only take on grads and postdocs?
What is your favorite project you are working on right now? Any ones from the past you are particularly proud of?
What sorts of projects have you worked on with the rest of the Caltech theory department?
Does all your work or the work of the department have to be taken to Switzerland* to be tested? If so, do you find it frustrating that the United States has not developed a similar project?
How is working at Caltech different than working at another research institution?
*Large Hadron Collider in Geneva. Currently there is nothing comparable-the United States shut down its particle accelerator, Tevatron, last year due to budget cuts. I fear that science in America is on a very steep decline.
How did you find your "niche" in theoretical physics?
Why did you choose to be a theorist instead of an experimentalist?
How does the theory department at Caltech work? Are you split up by discipline-do you only work with the particle physicists? Do you only take on grads and postdocs?
What is your favorite project you are working on right now? Any ones from the past you are particularly proud of?
What sorts of projects have you worked on with the rest of the Caltech theory department?
Does all your work or the work of the department have to be taken to Switzerland* to be tested? If so, do you find it frustrating that the United States has not developed a similar project?
How is working at Caltech different than working at another research institution?
*Large Hadron Collider in Geneva. Currently there is nothing comparable-the United States shut down its particle accelerator, Tevatron, last year due to budget cuts. I fear that science in America is on a very steep decline.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Blog 5a: Science Fair Problem Statement
Project Topic: Theoretical particle physics (simply an excuse to say the word "quark" as much as possible.)
Problem 1: Are supersymmetric (SUSY) particles solid candidates for WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles?) WIMPs are important to us because they may help us understand what dark matter is. SUSY particles are also very important, as they pose possible solutions to imbalances in the Standard Model, such as the hierarchy problem.
Problem 2: If so, what would be the most effective way to find them? Many physicists dismiss the idea of supersymmetry because they have not been found in the Large Hadron Collider yet. However, I do not believe the Large Hadron Collider is equipped to find such particles, as SUSY particles should not interact in the way normal Standard Model particles do (i.e., a squark, or supersymmetric quark, should not behave the same way a normal quark does. It has its own spin, its own mass, etc.) and we already know the LHC is not equipped to find WIMPs (other experiments are attempting it, but the data they have produced thus far is conflicting.)
(Confession-supersymmetry is an excuse to say the word "squark" as much as possible.)
Problem 1: Are supersymmetric (SUSY) particles solid candidates for WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles?) WIMPs are important to us because they may help us understand what dark matter is. SUSY particles are also very important, as they pose possible solutions to imbalances in the Standard Model, such as the hierarchy problem.
Problem 2: If so, what would be the most effective way to find them? Many physicists dismiss the idea of supersymmetry because they have not been found in the Large Hadron Collider yet. However, I do not believe the Large Hadron Collider is equipped to find such particles, as SUSY particles should not interact in the way normal Standard Model particles do (i.e., a squark, or supersymmetric quark, should not behave the same way a normal quark does. It has its own spin, its own mass, etc.) and we already know the LHC is not equipped to find WIMPs (other experiments are attempting it, but the data they have produced thus far is conflicting.)
(Confession-supersymmetry is an excuse to say the word "squark" as much as possible.)
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Blog 4: Project Reflection and Working EQ
1: Two great things have happened thus far: the first is that I have established contacts and mentorship opportunities at one of the best research schools in the world-Caltech. The second is that I will soon have the opportunity to talk to a string theorist, which I am very excited for.
2: The Cosmic Landscape by the illustrious Leonard Susskind has been tremendously helpful-Susskind goes over a variety of interrelated topics and also relates physics concepts to fields outside the realm. The book is very clear and uses a lot of examples for very complex topics, which will be helpful when I give my two hour.
3. So far, what has worked the best for me is using primarily print resources for my research. Books work the best as it is very easy to find the content one is looking for, and they are much, much more detailed than most Web articles, which are typically too simplified to be helpful in is topic. I will be looking into science journals to help me along as well.
4. What hasn't worked is the note taking and the Working Bibliography. I am finding the WB to be very confusing due to the way I have gone about conducting my research. In addition, as I am not generally a note-taker, I can't seem to find a note-taking style that fits the requirements and will actually be helpful for me. So far, I am finding the notes to be a distraction and a waste of time.
5. The first question is a possible EQ question-what is the most important unsolved physics problem? Pursuing that will help me narrow down the field and get to a good place at the end of the year. I hope this project will lead to my writing (and perhaps publishing) my first paper. It's doable-Albert Einstein was also 17 when he published his first paper. Not that I'm comparing myself to Einstein. I can actually comb my hair. Well, I am really looking forward to talking to Professor Vatche Saharkian (the string theorist) from Harvey Mudd. Also there is a Nobel Prize winner (David Politzer) at the theory department at Caltech. I will try to sneak my way into a conversation with him when the school year starts.
2: The Cosmic Landscape by the illustrious Leonard Susskind has been tremendously helpful-Susskind goes over a variety of interrelated topics and also relates physics concepts to fields outside the realm. The book is very clear and uses a lot of examples for very complex topics, which will be helpful when I give my two hour.
3. So far, what has worked the best for me is using primarily print resources for my research. Books work the best as it is very easy to find the content one is looking for, and they are much, much more detailed than most Web articles, which are typically too simplified to be helpful in is topic. I will be looking into science journals to help me along as well.
4. What hasn't worked is the note taking and the Working Bibliography. I am finding the WB to be very confusing due to the way I have gone about conducting my research. In addition, as I am not generally a note-taker, I can't seem to find a note-taking style that fits the requirements and will actually be helpful for me. So far, I am finding the notes to be a distraction and a waste of time.
5. The first question is a possible EQ question-what is the most important unsolved physics problem? Pursuing that will help me narrow down the field and get to a good place at the end of the year. I hope this project will lead to my writing (and perhaps publishing) my first paper. It's doable-Albert Einstein was also 17 when he published his first paper. Not that I'm comparing myself to Einstein. I can actually comb my hair. Well, I am really looking forward to talking to Professor Vatche Saharkian (the string theorist) from Harvey Mudd. Also there is a Nobel Prize winner (David Politzer) at the theory department at Caltech. I will try to sneak my way into a conversation with him when the school year starts.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Blog 3: Interview Preparation
I plan on interviewing Professor Mark Wise, or, if he is still out of town (a.k.a. tunneling through spacetime,) one of his colleagues from Caltech. I first contacted Professor Wise after reading the Caltech faculty page because I found his focus to be similar to my interests. Also, Caltech is where I will be doing at least part of my service learning.
I'll probably ask the following questions-
Physics is a pretty broad topic. How did you find your niche within the field?
What would you recommend for an aspiring physics major?
What do you believe is the single most important discovery in physics to date and why?
What do you believe is the most important unsolved problem in physics and why?
What did you think about the Higgs Boson announcement this summer?
I'll probably ask the following questions-
Physics is a pretty broad topic. How did you find your niche within the field?
What would you recommend for an aspiring physics major?
What do you believe is the single most important discovery in physics to date and why?
What do you believe is the most important unsolved problem in physics and why?
What did you think about the Higgs Boson announcement this summer?
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Blog 2: Topic Choice
The late, great discoverer of quantum theory Max Planck once told a renowned physics professor that he wished to pursue the subject to "understand." Is this not true of all of us? We all desire understanding. It is, in part, what makes us human. It has allowed us to improve ourselves as we further our knowledge. I, like all people, am interested in understanding. I am also driven to contibute my own knowledge to that pool. This is why I have such an interest in theoretical physics and is why I have chosen it as my senior project.
People have often seemed to have a problem with my interest in and knowledge of the hard sciences. I attribute this to the fact that there are precious few women in physics, and that being an intelligent woman is often not considered (by girls and boys) to be an attractive quality. With my senior project, I plan on improving as an iPoly "citizen" by improving the iPoly community and the attitude toward science (especially amongst girls) as a whole. I would like that to be my footprint, since right now I'm just the girl who argues with the teachers.
Unfortunately, physics is often extremely difficult for laypeople to understand, and very difficult for physicists to explain it in a way that is not intimidating and does not involve a lot of seemingly arbitrary math. I think I intimidate people sometimes because I use big words and talk about a lot of broad subjects. I used to think it was funny that people were intimidated by me, but now I don't think it's so funny. With my senior project I aim to learn a way to truly help people understand. We need more laypeople who are scientifically literate (especially if they choose to go into politics or law) and I believe I could then apply the technique to helping people learn about a variety of topics I consider important.
I need to learn too though. Science is an excellent vehicle to bulk up confidence in variety of subjects, especially math, which I am not too confident in because I never had a really good teacher. My project is something I am interested but I feel will also allow me to gain more confidence in my math abilities going into college.
Finally, while my interest is in theoretical physics, not experimental physics (people are almost always exclusively one or the other) I do plan on using this as a vehicle to help me understand the technological side of physics, such as in early-Universe computer simulations or large particle detectors. I think with a respectable knowledge in experimental physics I will become a much better theorist and a more practical one.
People have often seemed to have a problem with my interest in and knowledge of the hard sciences. I attribute this to the fact that there are precious few women in physics, and that being an intelligent woman is often not considered (by girls and boys) to be an attractive quality. With my senior project, I plan on improving as an iPoly "citizen" by improving the iPoly community and the attitude toward science (especially amongst girls) as a whole. I would like that to be my footprint, since right now I'm just the girl who argues with the teachers.
Unfortunately, physics is often extremely difficult for laypeople to understand, and very difficult for physicists to explain it in a way that is not intimidating and does not involve a lot of seemingly arbitrary math. I think I intimidate people sometimes because I use big words and talk about a lot of broad subjects. I used to think it was funny that people were intimidated by me, but now I don't think it's so funny. With my senior project I aim to learn a way to truly help people understand. We need more laypeople who are scientifically literate (especially if they choose to go into politics or law) and I believe I could then apply the technique to helping people learn about a variety of topics I consider important.
I need to learn too though. Science is an excellent vehicle to bulk up confidence in variety of subjects, especially math, which I am not too confident in because I never had a really good teacher. My project is something I am interested but I feel will also allow me to gain more confidence in my math abilities going into college.
Finally, while my interest is in theoretical physics, not experimental physics (people are almost always exclusively one or the other) I do plan on using this as a vehicle to help me understand the technological side of physics, such as in early-Universe computer simulations or large particle detectors. I think with a respectable knowledge in experimental physics I will become a much better theorist and a more practical one.
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